The Girl With the Ezra Tattoo
by rikromacleo
Summary: A group of college students discover the identity of Professor Fitz's mysterious girlfriend.
1. Welcome to college

"So, who can tell me what Aristotle was trying to portray here?" Mr. Fitz asked us. I looked around and found a hand rise behind the front of a MacBook Pro. I could see where the girl was coming from, leaning back in her chair like that. Mr. Fitz was a teacher who liked to grill students with questions and if they answered wrong, most likely the girls didn't want him to see their embarrassment. That's how every girl was in his English classes. How could you not find him attractive? From his dark hair, never ending knowledge of classic fiction to the fact that some days he would show up wearing beat up converse, he was the perfect man for anyone hoping to score an older, literature obsessed boyfriend with just the right amount quirkiness. But unfortunately to everyone, he wasn't available. It's not like he ever talked about his personal life, the only thing we know was his age, which is twenty-seven (the only reason I knew that is because he once referred to the year he was born). He practically wore his relationship status, from the immaculate collection of ties right down to the tattoo on his ring finger that simply read 'Aria' in cursive font. Not only was he good looking, but he was also a great teacher. Every day he would ask if anyone read any good books lately and we'd sometimes spend classes discussing the themes of books that weren't even on our required reading list. He always helped a student in need and his lectures were never boring…but that was probably because everyone wanted to hear his deep voice. I guess that's why everyone paid him the fullest attention, but he seemed to never notice the girls flirting with him, or he just didn't let it show. It wasn't just the girls who loved him, the guys thought he was pretty cool, and that was big for the typical college aged, large ego bearing boys.

"Yes," he pointed to the girl. She answered him swiftly, like any kiss-up would do. Thankfully, class was over and I didn't get to see what happened next. While some students talked to him while they packed up their stuff, I was out of the door in a flash. It was already awkward enough having a crush on your English professor, but the fact that you share that with everyone else makes you feel protective. For some, yes, it may make them feel "normal" or they have something in common with others, but not me. Having girls to talk to it about would be nice and reassuring, but unfortunately for me, I didn't have many friends who were English majors like me, all my friends were artists that spent their days in the kiln room or drawing in their spare time. Lucky for me, I did take a pottery class, which was where I was headed that afternoon.

I was checking on a bowl I threw the previous day and I was just checking to see if it made through the kiln in one piece. After classes were over, the pottery room usually got packed; everyone wanted more time to work on their projects, but not that day. Instead there was only one girl there. She had her back to me and was at the potter's wheel. She was wearing black heeled booties, even though our wheels were manually spun. She was wearing tights and a black skirt that clung to her legs under her apron, complete with an oversized Fair Isle sweater. It was nearing the end of the semester and the temperatures were dropping rapidly.

The girl barely flinched when the door slammed behind me, she looked back and smiled quickly before getting back to work. I walked around her and to the kiln room. My bowl hadn't even been fired yet. I exited the room.

"Hey, do you know when she's going to fire our stuff?" I asked while pointing with my thumb to the room behind me. She looked up.

"Hmm." She thought to herself and held up one finger. She stood up and wiped off her hands with a dirty rag. She wasn't very tall, but I could tell she was an upperclassmen, her pot was beautiful and looked like it could've only been thrown by a pro. She walked around me and went over to a piece of paper that was hanging outside. I hadn't even noticed it before, and as I got closer I could tell it was a schedule. It had the shelves labeled with numbers.

"Which shelf is it on?" she asked.

I took a look. "Um…three."

She pointed to the shelf on the paper, leaving behind a dab of clay. "Looks like the stuff on that shelf won't be fired until tonight. Sorry."

"Oh…that's weird I threw it yesterday." I skimmed the sheet as well.

"Yah it gets pretty full in there around Christmas time, everyone wants to use their projects as presents." She laughed. "We'll do desperate things to save a couple bucks."

I laughed. "Your right with that one. I barely have enough money to feed myself."

I followed her back out to the main studio. She sat back down at the potter's wheel.

"That's a really cool pot." I pointed out.

"Oh, thanks." She said. I could tell she was the type of person who tried to stay humble. "You using it as a present?"

She laughed. "No…I think I'm going to keep this one for myself."

She steadied her hand and inspected the pot up close. I couldn't help but ask more questions. "What year are you?"

"Senior." She responded.

"You a pottery major?"

"Nah, I just love pottery so much I took a couple classes. I'm actually an English major."

I couldn't contain my astonishment. "Really? Same!"

She smiled genuinely.

"Who was your professor freshmen year?"

"Professor Dunphy." She responded. "I'm more into creative writing, but I love other types of literature too."

I nodded and watched as she lifted up her left hand carefully as she started to spin the cinder block. She carefully retouched the top with a tool so it was smooth. That's when I noticed her tattoo. It was on her ring finger, in black cursive font, it said 'Ezra'. My breathe caught in my throat. Could it be? No, was my first initial thought, she was still in college for pete's sake. Then I took in her clothing style. She seemed to be a fashion expert, someone who knew just what color or pattern would look good on someone. For instance like a tie…or ties. I couldn't believe it. The girl everyone wanted to be was a normal college student like herself.

The room started to feel stuffy.

"I have to go…good look with that." I pointed to her pot and dashed out of the room. _Huh, _I thought. _That was weird. _Wait until everyone hears about this. I stopped in the hallway and thought to myself. Who would I tell? I shook that thought out of my head and headed in the direction of my dorm when I ran into something hard. I saw a red tie when I looked up.

_Oh you've got to be kidding me._

He had reached out and grabbed my arm to steady me. I put my hand to my forehead embarrassed. "S-sorry Professor Fitz."

He shrugged. "It's no problem. It was just an accident."

I nodded and noticed he was holding _two_ coffee cups. I suddenly craved my regular frappuccino from Starbucks. I assessed in my head that if I walked quickly, I could get there in almost five minutes.

"Well, I'll see you in class tomorrow." I said awkwardly and accidentally brushed past him as I left. I could feel the warmth in my face spread across my cheeks. "Sorry."

He waved good-bye and turned right. I closed my eyes and cringed at my awful social skills. I craned my neck back and groaned inwardly. Could I be any more of a spazz? I decided not to rush to Starbucks so my hands were nearly frozen when I got there. Once I entered I saw a group of girls from my English class chatting at a table. A few looked over and acknowledged me with a look that said, _I know you._ I walked up to the counter and ordered. The girls were laughing at something and I suddenly missed my group of friends from high school. The African American college student behind the register handed me my cup. I replied with a thanks and went to a table by the window right next to the girls.

"Did you see what he was wearing today?" One of the girls drawled. The others whistled and moaned with delight.

"He's so yummy..._Professor Fitz._" The blonde one made a satisfied sound. One that came from eating a warm, moist brownie straight out of the oven. The girls laughed and took sips from their styrofoam cups.

"Jesus, why do all the good looking men have to be taken?" One of them asked.

"I heard somewhere he was single." Another one said.

"Then how do you explain his tattoo?" The blonde asked in a snotty tone. The girl shrugged.

"Maybe it's his mom."

"On his ring finger?"

A couple of them laughed and simultaneously took another sip.

I don't know what possessed me at that moment, but my mouth just opened right then.

"I actually just met her today." I blurted out. _Crap_. Why did I say that?

They all looked at me. I expected them to snicker and ask dumb questions like "who are you?".

"Really? How do you know it was her?" One gasped.

"Do tell." The blonde added.

I told them how I met her.

"She's a senior and an English major." I dished. I felt like such a _girl_, but it felt good to gossip like the old days.

"She's a student?" The blonde's jaw dropped. I gave a I-don't-believe-it-either nod.

"Who woulda thought?" Another asked. She laughed. "Maybe we actually _do _have a shot."

I was about to tell them about running into him and seeing him taking the coffee towards the pottery room, but I stopped myself. I wanted to savor this moment as it was.

"Don't you think he's just gorgeous?" She asked.

"He is dreamy."

"Oh, I know right. I just want to rip his clothes off!" She said in a not-so-quiet voice.

"Well we know what Kate's been daydreaming about." The blonde said. We all laughed.

"I'm Josie, by the way." The blonde one said.

"I'm Alyssa." It felt weird introducing myself to someone so close to semester break. The others introduced themselves too.

"So she had the tattoo and everything?" Josie asked. She whistled. "Either she's sure she's going to marry him or she's not afraid of tattoo removal."

I laughed. "I think they're serious. I'm pretty sure she's the one buying his ties."

"Phew." Kate said. "I thought he was metrosexual or something!"

We all laughed. "God, why can't there be any single guys like him?" Josie asked as she leaned back in her chair.

We all shrugged because, well, no one knew the answer. Josie suddenly leaned forward.

"Wait, was this girl…pretty?" She asked.

"Extremely." I responded.

She sighed. "Of course."

"What'd she look like?" Kate asked.

I thought for a moment. "Dark brown hair, big eyes…great fashion sense."

"I wonder where she's from." Josie pondered. One of her friends slapped her arm. "Ouch! I'm just wondering! I'm not a stalker or something."

I almost choked because I was laughing so hard. Once we were all settled down, Kate put her hand up.

"So we finally know who this '_Aria_' girl is…and to think I thought she was some annoying ugly, control freaky bitch!" Kate exclaimed using her hands as emphasis.

"Not everyone is like that." Josie pointed out.

"Well some…remember Professor Molina?"

We all burst out laughing while the whole Starbucks looked at us confused. _Yah, _I thought. _Let 'em. _


	2. Stalking isn't illegal if you're curious

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated any of my fanfics! I've been busy with school yet again and didn't have time over break to write anymore. Anyways, enjoy! Feel free to put suggestions in the comments, I would love to hear some of your ideas for an Ezria scenerio! **

"Shh!" Josie put a finger up to her lips. Kate, Josie and I were in the English wing of Hollis after hours. It was Kate's idea to sneak around and see if we spotted Mr. Fitz.

"Does this make you guys feel like stalkers?" I whispered.

"Shut up Alyssa." Kate joked. We'd hung out for the past week and I was pretty used to her sarcastic comebacks and fake-bitchiness. We turned the corner and we were in his hallway.

"Should we really be doing this?" Josie asked. Looks like I wasn't the only one with second thoughts.

"Oh come on you guys!" Kate whined. "Just one peek."

Josie and I looked at each other with fear written across our faces. We reluctantly followed her towards the door. Through the small window we could tell it was dark and empty. I mentally sighed of relief.

Kate pouted. "This sucks."

"Well what did you think, he was going to be in there alone, in desperate need of college students to brighten up his day?" Josie asked.

"He's sleeping with a college student!" Kate hissed.

"Well we don't know that…" I pointed out. The thought of him sleeping with someone was too awkward to delve into, especially a girl that was a couple years older than me.

Kate opened her mouth to say something, but halted once we heard footsteps. Josie widened her eyes and crept towards the corner. She shot back immediately.

"It's him!" She mouthed and motioned for us to run down the hallway. "Go!"

We tried our best to silently run the other way, but Kate's jewelry clanked as we ran. Fed up, Josie grabbed us both and dragged us into an alcove in front of a door. We peered around the corner to catch a glimpse. He was wearing his usual: button down shirt, black pants, sneakers and a tie. He reached into his pocket to unlock his door. Even from a distance I could see the faint mark of his tattoo on his ring finger. Seeing it just made my stomach do flips. Once he was inside, we turned away.

"What's he doing here?" Kate wondered.

"I don't know, why don't you go ask him?" Josie retorted. Kate stuck her tongue out and looked his way again. He had turned on the lights, which were now illuminating the dim hallway. She crept around us and down the hall.

"Kate!" Josie whined. "Not. Now."

She waved Josie off and tip-toed closer to the door. She looked inside the window and smiled.

"She's such a creep." Josie commented. "She's probably having another sexual fantasy of the two taking a shower together or something."

I looked at her confused. Josie rolled her eyes. "I know right. She _shares _them with me. Like I wanna know what goes through her mind."

We walked down the hall to meet Kate. Once we got there, we looked in the room as well. He was at his desk trying to find something. He rubbed his jaw and looked around. For a horrible second it almost looked like he glanced this way. We all darted away from the window.

Kate crept back towards the window. We did too. He had his back turned to us now and was looking through a drawer.

"What do you think he's looking for?" Kate asked.

Josie put her hands up. "Will you stop asking questions we don't know!"

I giggled.

"What are you girls doing here?" A voice asked very angrily. We turned to see the chair of the English department, Mrs. Kosch, standing before us. She was plump and had sand colored hair that was always pulled into a bun. Her deep red pantsuit was clashing against her beige skin.

"Oh we were just walking through." Kate lied. _Wow, she was good._

Mrs. Kosch looked at us skeptically then walked away. We watched her go.

"Someone's in a bad mood."

We heard footsteps, but it was too late. The door swung open and almost hit all three of us. Mr. Fitz stepped out holding a large file under his arm.

We spun around horrified. We were so close to his door. He definitely knew we were spying on him!

"Girls, what are you doing here?" He asked. Josie and I turned to Kate, our expert liar, for a quick explanation.

"We thought we'd come ask you question." Kate said. I looked at her in horror. She saw my face then quickly turned back to him. "I mean…about that book we're reading."

"Okay…" Mr. Fitz looked at his watch and at Josie and I, but we were too much of cowards to look him in the eye.

"Um…does the author ever go on book tours?" Kate asked. I slapped my palm against my forehead. A little too loudly, though, because Mr. Fitz turned to look at me.

"He's dead Kate." He informed her.

"Oh…oh that's right! I was thinking of that other book, the one with the-''

Josie clamped her hand on Kate's shoulder. "Sorry Professor Fitz, Kate had…a little too much to drink."

He raised an eyebrow, but surprisingly didn't question us.

"We'll be leaving now." Josie said innocently. She dragged Kate along like she was a little kid in trouble. Once we rounded the corner, we all picked up our paces and started running. We didn't stop until we were out the doors.

Kate ran over to a bench and doubled over in laughter. She was laughing so hard, nothing was coming out of her mouth. Josie sat down next to her doing the same thing. I leaned against a post trying to catch my breathe.

I clutched my stomach. "We looked like idiots."

"Nice save though." Kate added. "He probably thinks I'm a wild party girl now."

"Sorry."

"Nah," Kate stood up and took off her jacket. She swung it around her head. "I'm a wild child now!"

A few guys turned to look our way as Kate moved her hips provocatively in circles. A tall football player whistled.

Josie and I simultaneously hurried towards her and yanked her down. We walked arm in arm back to our dorms, past the whistling guys, and a familiar looking middle-aged man talking on a cell phone.

The next morning I heard a knock on my door. I looked at the clock, it was eight o' clock on a Saturday morning. I groaned. My roommate Kelsie was probably at the gym so I would have to answer the door. Once I was finished struggling out of bed, I reached for the doorknob. When I opened it I saw, to my surprise, our dorm advisor, Nika. She was in her workout gear and had a water bottle in her hand.

"Is Kelsie here?" She asked. Her blonde ponytail swung as she talked.

"No. She's not." I answered. I studied the room trying to conclude where she would've gone.

"Oh…" Nika said. She frowned.

"Is she missing or something?"

Nika waved her hand dismissively. "Oh gosh no. She's my workout buddy."

"Oh." I smiled. "Well I'll tell you stopped by."

"Okay!" Nika said and started to walk off, but instead she turned around. "Were you and friends out late last night?"

"Yes…" I said wearily.

"In the quad?"

"Yah…"

"I knew that was you guys." She said and walked away. Oh crap, she must've saw Kate dirty dancing on the bench. I cringed.

"Hey girlie." Someone said. I turned around to see Kate in her pajamas. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing." I walked back into my room.

Kate followed and shut the door behind me. I flopped back onto my bed while Kate sat down at my desk. She nudged my mouse so my laptop would turn on. Hollis's website showed up as she logged onto the Internet. I shut my eyes. A few seconds ticked by while every sound around me started to muffle. So close to sleep, I turned onto my side.

"Oh my gosh." Kate said. I groaned.

"What?"

She turned in the chair to look at me. "Did this girl look like…that?" She turned my laptop to show me a picture of…Aria. I shot out of bed.

"It's her." I told her.

Kate squealed.

"That can't be good." I noticed as I pushed Kate over to share the seat. There was a new picture slideshow up for the bulletin about an art show. The slideshow was of various artists posing next to their creations. Aria was in the third picture next to a painting. The caption read: _Senior Aria Montgomery shows off her canvas from Advanced Drawing. _

"I'm looking her up!" Kate announced. Before I could stop her she had already opened up Facebook and was typing in her name.

"Aria Montgomery." She recited as she typed. She hit enter and we both leaned in closer. There was an Aria Montgomery from California and even Alaska. She scrolled down. At the bottom was an Aria Montgomery from Rosewood, Pennsylvania. I studied the picture, but the picture was too small to see.

"Click on that one." I instructed. Kate clicked on the one I was pointing to.

"That's her." I said. Her profile picture was of some blonde girl and her on a bench somewhere in Old Hollis, the area right next to Hollis where all the dorms were. We looked at her info.

"Went to Rosewood High, speaks French…there's nothing about Mr. Fitz in here! All it says is she's 'in a relationship'."

"Maybe she doesn't want people being able to find him." I considered.

"Yah, but she's probably friends with him."

"Maybe their relationship is on the down low."

Kate sighed. "Probably."

She clicked on one of her pictures. It was of Aria and the blonde girl from her profile picture standing next to two other girls; they were all in dresses. The next one showed her with her arm around a guy with light brown hair. _Mike Montgomery_ was tagged in it.

"Her brother…" Kate said. "Hmm, he's kind of cute."

"Then why don't you go after him instead?"

She glared at me. "Ha-ha." She said sarcastically.

She clicked on the next photo and it was Aria and same three girls from the other one, but this time there was guy in the background with his back turned to the camera. He had his hands on his hips and was wearing a blue button down shirt. His hair was dark brown; it was definitely him. Kate scrolled down to look at the tags. _Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings, Hanna Marin, Emily Fields. _No Professor Fitz.

"Humph." Kate's eyes were locked onto the screen.

The next few were all taken on the same day. In every one were a middle-aged man and woman, probably her parents. I recognized the one on the left as Professor Montgomery. I didn't take any of his classes but Hollis was so small you knew everybody.

"Hey I think I saw him last night." I said. I thought back to the people we passed after Kate's little "show".

"Huh." Kate said.

After that was a picture of Aria in a theater wearing a black dress. The picture was a little blurry, so it was obviously taken by a cell phone. She was smiling into the camera while in her seat. I couldn't but smile along with her. She looked so happy sitting there all dolled up. Kate scrolled down.

"Bingo!" She yelled.

Underneath the picture next to an icon of a man with dark hair it said: _Ezra Fitz with Aria Montgomery. _


	3. A picture's worth a thousand words

**A/N: Sorry it's a little shorter this time, but I just had to type it all out and post it tonight. Enjoy!**

I stood in line at the mailbox located just inside the dorm's doors. I was towards the end but the line was moving quicker than I had expected. It was second semester and everyone was getting late Christmas presents and holiday cards from all over. A boy in the front wheeled a large box towards the elevator. I mentally cursed at him for having such rich parents. All night the boys in the dorms would blast their music in their new speakers that amplified the sound up to the third floor. Talk about obnoxious.

I finally stepped up to the shelves and searched for my name. There it was, in a yellow manila folder. Nestled inside was the application of my dreams. I quickly stepped out of line and headed out the doors to meet Josie and Kate, my new friends from my English class who harbored the same crush over our gorgeous English professor, Mr. Fitz.

I tore open the envelope as I walked. I skimmed through the three pages and almost squealed with delight. This was my chance to become a writer, and it was literally in my hands. Overcome, by all the excitement I didn't notice that I had almost collided with the jocks who liked to play football in the commons.

"Sorry!" I yelled as I past them. I stuffed the envelope inside my purse and shuffled towards Starbucks where we regularly hung out. The minute I opened the door and heard the jangle from the bells, the smell of coffee and frappuccinos hit my nose. I spotted Josie and Kate at their usual table close to the window. Josie had her bright pink laptop set on the table, obviously on Facebook where we previously discovered a certain professor's Facebook profile full of information we never even dreamed of acquiring.

"Hey girlies." I sang as I sat down next to them. I awkwardly adjusted my yoga pants so they wouldn't ride up my ass.

"If it's possible, he got more amazing." Josie announced without looking up. She turned her laptop to show me his page. Since he only let his friends see his wall posts, we were stuck looking at his basic information and pictures, but that didn't halt us. Josie clicked on a picture with Ezra standing next to a middle aged woman with gray hair and a college aged kid who had dark hair, which we figured out was his brother, Patrick. There were more pictures from random Hollis events, readings and even some miscellaneous photos that seemed to be from his college days. Josie scrolled down further and started clicking on photos of a cityscape. I noticed that it was of New York City, a.k.a. my dream city.

"Oh!" I exclaimed and reached into my purse. "I forgot to tell you what came in the mail today!"

Recently I shared with them about the creative writing workshop I was applying to that was held in New York City every summer. Now that I had some more credits, I felt that this summer was the perfect time. I handed the folder to Josie who had diverted her gaze away from the laptop. She flipped through it and gave me a satisfied grin.

"Congrats, Lissa." She handed the papers to Kate. A frown grew upon her face.

"What?" I asked.

"You do know you need at least three recommendations, don't you?"

"What?" I asked. I snatched the application away and right there in black and white was the section about three recommendations on my writing skills and work ethic. "Boo."

"It'll be fine." Kate reassured her.

I just sighed dramatically. "Who am I supposed to ask?"

Kate and I looked up to see Josie grinning ear to ear. "I've got an idea."

I checked my reflection one last time in the window outside his office. I gulped and knocked on the door. It was open slightly and I could see him working at his desk.

I cleared my throat. "Professor Fitz?"

He looked up from his work.

"Can I ask you a question?" I tried not to talk fast, but I cringed when I heard how jumbled it had sounded.

"Sure." He smiled and set down his pen. He waved me inside. I stepped into his office. It was cute and homey. There was a brown leather couch against one wall and a bookshelf stocked with some of my favorite reads against the other. A few filing cabinets were behind the desk and his degree from Hollis was hung proudly on the wall. I walked over to his desk.

"Um," I said then noticed how uneducated I sounded and quickly got to the point. "I'm applying for this workshop in New York City for the summer, and I need a recommendation. I was hoping you might be able to write one." I chose my words carefully and breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded.

I smiled and set the papers on his desk. As he looked it over, I caught of glimpse of his desk. There was a lamp, a clock, and many framed pictures.

"New York City." He simply said. I looked away from the photos I was curiously eyeing and looked back at him. I tried to not look him in the eye, afraid I might've stare for hours. "I've been there a few times. It's a great city."

"Yah, it is." I responded. Hopefully I didn't sound too starstruck.

"Where are you planning on staying?"

"Well it's at NYU and you can stay in the dorms, but I have family there that I can stay with." I fumbled with my necklace and looked back at the photos. One was of his family, this time with what looked like his dad in the picture. Another one showed him and Aria next to each other on the bridge that overlooked the Statue of Liberty. I smiled and looked at the last one that was closest to me. It was two frames connected together by hinges. I froze when I looked at them more closely. One was of Aria in a blue graduation grown and hat with her arms around Ezra's waist. There was no doubt he was doing the same with arm that disappeared behind her back. The picture next to it showed a close up of Aria from the chest up with the blue tassel cascading down the side of her face and her dark brown hair blowing in the breeze. It was a beautiful shot. She wasn't looking directly at the camera, but off to the side a bit. She had a sincere smile on her face. I could tell that she feeling happy but yet sad to be leaving high school. When the words 'high school' went through my mind, I swallowed. That was her _high school _graduation. I had gotten so caught up, I had forgotten everything I knew. I studied the picture again. I knew Mr. Fitz had taught at Rosewood High for less than a semester, but it couldn't be…could it? Aria and Mr. Fitz looked a little too cozy for a polite picture at her graduation ceremony…and how did he get that candid of her? There was no way…it didn't seem plausible.

I looked back at Mr. Fitz who was still reading the application. "Well, I've got to go. Um, thanks."

He looked up and smiled. "No problem. I'll have this back to you shortly."

I grinned and started to exit his office.

"Alyssa?" He called out. I turned around stunned that he was even saying my name. He looked as if he wanted to say something…something that didn't have to do with applications or English class, but he closed his mouth. "Never mind."

I nodded slowly and walked out the door. I pulled out my cell and told Kate and Josie to meet me at my dorm ASAP. They both responded seconds later with an "I'm coming!" message.

Once I got back to my dorm, they were already inside. Kate was already looking comfortable on my bed and Josie was at the cheap desk I had bought from Target before school started. Kelsey must've let them in on her way out.

I flopped onto my bed next to Kate. "Didn't you say that Mr. Fitz taught at Rosewood High for a semester?"

"Not even. He left before December." Josie said. She was twirling a piece of her hair around her finger.

"Were you guys at school at the time?" I asked. They nodded. Kate thought for a moment.

"Yah, we were freshmen." She looked up. "Why?"

"Well I was in his office asking for that recommendation and I saw of photo of him and Aria…on her graduation day."

"He was her teacher once." Josie said.

"She was a junior when he was there." Kate pointed out.

"Well, in the picture, it didn't look like he was just being polite and taking a photo. They looked…close."

Kate pondered for a moment. "Her dad works here, maybe they're 'buddies'."

I shook my head. "Well you said he didn't even last one semester. Why did he leave so quickly?"

"Hollis offered him a job." Kate said.

"Don't you think he would've at least stayed until the end of the year though?" I asked.

"He probably didn't want to pass up the offer." Josie said as she spun around in circles in my chair.

"But what if he didn't." I pressed.

"Where are you going with this?" Kate asked annoyed.

"What if he left for another reason besides Hollis?"

"What other reason would he have?" Kate asked. "He what, just _needed _to get out of Rosewood High or something? He fought with the teachers? Hated his students?"

Josie stopped spinning. "He needed to get away from the high school! That's it!"

I jumped up and ran towards her. "Yes!"

Kate sat up. "What? I'm confused!"

"He didn't leave just because of Hollis…" I paused for dramatic effect. "He left because he was seeing Aria then."


	4. Hawthorne did like secrets

"It's a Saturday night…_and _you're doing homework?" Kate groaned on the other end of the line. I could hear noise in the background. She must've been at a party in someone's dorm. I sighed.

"Sorry Kate."

She didn't say anything, so I knew she was pouting.

"You want me to come over afterwards?" I asked.

"Nah. I'll be fine." She replied. I could tell though she was already lonely. Josie was working at some bar in Old Hollis that she refused to quit because she got great tips from drunken college boys and old men.

We both hung up and I turned to face the book splayed out in front of me. Whoever told me I could pass this course was a dope. I hated classic literature. Well, I didn't hate it…I just could never understand it. I took a sip of my non-alcoholic beverage and studied the page. I was at Rio's, a small pub not very far away from the rich neighborhood. Although it was located there, it was hidden in a strip mall that no one ever went to. Everyone went to the King James instead. I had found this place last semester when I was bored out of my mind and had no friends. I had been going there ever since. The waiters knew me and I took a liking to Drew, a thirty-something year old guy who had tattoos and gages I could fit my thumb in.

I had read a whole two pages when someone sat down a couple stools down from me. I looked over and nearly choked on air. Sitting in front of the bar was none other than Professor Fitz, my English professor, who I guiltily stalked on Facebook the other night and concluded that his college girlfriend was probably in high school when they first started dating.

_Please don't look my way. Please don't look my way. _I silently pleaded. I turned my head in the other direction hoping he didn't recognize me. I was not in the mood to make a fool of myself.

"Refill?" Drew asked. I quickly turned my head towards him and nodded.

"Alyssa?" Professor Fitz asked. _Crap._

I spun around in my stool. "Professor Fitz! What…what are you doing here?"

"Just getting a drink." He held up his glass and took a sip. It looked like Scotch but I wasn't sure. "Are you attempting to read in here?"

He pointed at my book. "I was trying…for some reason I actually concentrate better at a place like this."

He nodded and smiled. My insides swirled. _Calm yourself. _

I awkwardly tapped my short nails against the counter. We exchanged a couple of curt glances and I took that as an okay to start reading again. That is, until I was so frustrated I decided to ask the English professor that was conveniently sitting next to me.

"You've read Nathanial Hawthorne right?" I asked. He looked up and nodded. I continued on. "I really don't understand why he has to portray everyone with a 'secret sin' or whatever. I mean don't get me wrong we all sin and keep secrets, but hasn't he already portrayed a sinful minister like ten times?"

I breathed out and realized I was probably talking a mile a minute and my use of 'like' was probably not the smartest thing to say.

"Well since they were in the Puritan times he probably wanted to write about something no one else wrote about. I mean, think of it this way. If someone sinned you'd think they'd go to confession right?" I nodded. "Yah, but Hawthorne didn't believe that everyone was perfect. He assumed even the most 'holy' sinned and it was different than any other writing of the seventeenth century. It was more…emotional."

I slowly nodded taking it all in. "But does everyone have to whip themselves as a form of torture?"

He laughed softly. "Dimmesdale was a sinful man."

"The Puritans were crazy for making Hester wear that 'A' like that. And the 'A' symbolized so many things. Does he have to make everything a symbol?"

"Hawthorne did like his symbols…" He took a sip of his mysterious drink again. "Dimmesdale was probably thinking about the consequences."

It took me a moment to realize he steered the conversation back to Dimmesdale and his 'secret sin'.

"Yah but it caused him so much pain. Was it really worth it?" I asked.

"Sometimes keeping secrets keeps things going. In his mind he was still able to stay a minister if he kept the secret and that's what he wanted." He wiped his mouth with the palm of his hand.

"Did you really like his writing?" I asked. I looked at the open book and figured I wasn't going to get anything done so I closed it.

"Yah…I did, I do. It sometimes reminds me of…" He trailed off. "Sorry."

I didn't know what he was sorry about but I didn't want to pry, nor did I want to think about the newly discovered information I was storing in my mind.

"There was this time back in high school when I lied to everyone saying that I wanted to be a lawyer like my aunt when I really wanted to be a writer. I guess I lied because I didn't want anyone to know I had those ambitions. I wasn't the best student and English wasn't my best subject…I guess I kept it a secret because I didn't want to feel like hearing everyone say it was going to be hard or I couldn't do it." I swallowed. I couldn't believe I just spilled my biggest insecurities to my English professor. _My English professor. _I probably scared him to death. I half expected him to move away.

He spun his glass in circles and then looked up at me. "I once dropped this huge bomb that I thought would fix things…and I realized that it was much better keeping a secret. It was even more complicated than before and there we were again lying. I felt like I was going in a circle."

"We?" I cautiously asked. His brow crinkled and then he widened his eyes.

"Um, I-"

"Someone else?" I asked and lowered my voice. "Some special…per say?"

He slowly nodded. "How did you know I was talking about her?"

He must've thought I assumed 'her' was his girlfriend, little did he know that I actually know who _she _was.

I shrugged. "I could tell."

We both stopped talking. There was a shift in the air between us. He must've noticed it too, because he changed the subject.

"You excited for New York?" he asked.

"What?" I asked. "Oh right. Well, if I get in."

He waved my thought off. "Of course you will."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You've got talent. Just because you may not fully understand the classics, doesn't mean you're not good enough." Normally I would've been offended, but the way he said it didn't come off as an insult, but instead something I shouldn't be embarrassed about.

"Thank you." I said.

"And for the record, I never really liked Moby Dick. It just bored me."

I laughed. "You could pay me a hundred bucks and I wouldn't even attempt to read it." I paused. "I take that back. I probably would seeing I'm a poor college student."

Drew came back and refilled Mr. Fitz's glass. "You engaged or something?"

Mr. Fitz looked down at his ring finger. "No, just…someone special."

Drew nodded and walked off.

"He likes tattoos." I told him.

"I could see that…" He glanced at Drew. His arms were covered in tattoos, but they weren't random, they all meant something. I learned that about Drew one night when it was a dead zone and we decided to play twenty questions. At that time he was probably my only friend.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but who is this mystery girl you got a tattoo for?"

He outstretched his fingers. "Aria…we've been together for years. We got these a couple years ago actually."

I chose my words carefully. "You pretty certain you'll stay with her forever?"

"I'd like to think that." He studied his tattoo like he had just noticed it. "There's really not much I can say about her except that I love her."

I felt a pang in my stomach. It wasn't because I was jealous, it was because I could tell he was really in love and all the mistakes and secrets he implied earlier were just a way of staying with her.

"Well, I hope it works out." My phone rang from inside my bag. Kate's name was written across the screen.

"Hello?"

"Alyssaaaa!" Kate yelled. I shuddered and inched the phone away from my ear. Kate was wasted. Completely, one hundred percent wasted.

"Kate. Where are you?" I asked. I could hear all sorts of cheering and music in the background.

"At a party…in the dorm!" She replied. Tomorrow was Sunday and Kate always felt guilty when she didn't attend Church. _Greeeaat. _

"Oh!" She exclaimed. She was practically screaming. "You'll never guess who's here."

"Who?" I asked. Was it Josie? Did she finally quit?

"Aria!" She yelled. My eyes widened. "I wonder where her _booooyfriend _is."

"Kate. Kate." I stammered.

"Mr. Fitz better watch out. His college girl is getting _all_ the attention!"

I quickly hung up and hoped that he didn't overhear what she said. But judging by his face, I knew he did.


	5. It all started with a Bud Light

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, I know you guys have been waiting for another chapter. I had a huge project that I've been working on for the past two weeks and on top of that I have other school stuff and other things to deal with. I just wanted to get one up over the weekend. So enjoy :)**

"Wassup bitch?" Kate yelled over all the commotion. She was swaying back and forth with a beer bottle gripped loosely in her hand. I latched onto her arm to steady her.

"We need to go." I told her and led her towards the door. Her moves were like liquid. She was extremely wasted. "This is really going to hurt in the morning."

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing. Never mind. Come on, let's go." I took the bottle and set it down on a table before we exited the frat house. Kate was giggling as we left the porch.

"Ooh! The moon!" Kate said. Last week she told me her dad was an astronomist and they had spent a year somewhere in New Mexico. Every fun fact about space and stars was etched into her brain. "Did you know that the moon's lunar cycle-''

"Yah, yah. I get it." We headed towards my car when I noticed two figures behind a tree. I leaned to the right. At the angle I was standing, I could make out Mr. Fitz's face in the street light. He was standing close to a girl in a leather jacket. Aria. From afar I could tell they weren't happy. Mr. Fitz's lips were drawn into a straight line as he looked down at her. I gulped. Earlier that night after Kate called, I fled. I grabbed my stuff and ran out the door. The last thing I saw was his face when recognition set it. He definitely heard Kate say Aria's name over the phone.

I quickly walked away, feeling horrible already. The last thing I wanted to do was spy on them. Thankfully, Kate had kept quiet all the way to the car. Once she got inside though, she threw up.

"Okay, that's disgusting. Open the door please." I said as I covered my nose. Even though my car was almost a decade old, it was still my means of transportation. She closed the door and stood up straight. She wiped her mouth and burped. How lady-like.

I un-parallel parked and sped back towards the campus. When I glanced back at Mr. Fitz and Aria, they were gone.

Josie had helped me put Kate to bed and even though we both offered to spend the night, Kate's roommate declined. We both shrugged it off and headed back towards my dorm. Kelsey was already asleep so I had to whisper when I filled Josie in on everything that had happened.

"Wow." She whispered. We were both lying on my bed staring at the ceiling so I couldn't see her face.

I hugged my stuffed turtle to my chest and breathed out. "I know."

When I woke up the next morning, it was Sunday, everyone's final day before the next week of schoolwork and all-nighters. I yawned and climbed out of bed. Before I left, I put on my robe, I didn't want anyone seeing me in my tight fitting cami and short shorts. Three doors down was Kate's room. I quietly knocked and jumped back when Kate opened the door. Her blonde hair was a mess and her make-up was smeared all over her face.

"Thanks for last night." She croaked as she let me in. I shrugged. She had shut the blinds and was drinking an extra-large coffee.

"My head is pounding."

"That's what happens when you drink too much."

She gave me a look.

"Sorry." I said. I awkwardly sat there and watched her stare at the ground. "So…do you remember what happened last night?"

She shook her head. "Barely. I remember you coming to get me, but before and after…that's a blur."

I nodded my head. "You called me actually."

She cocked her head to one side. "I did?"

"I was at a bar…doing homework."

"On a Saturday?" She asked like I was the most boring person in the world. I realized it was the second time she asked me that over the weekend.

"Remember…you said you saw Aria…"

Kate thought for a moment. "Oh yah! She was with a couple girls and these two guys were trying to get her to give them a lap dance, it was disgusting."

_Should I tell her?_ I thought. Maybe later.

"Well, I should go get dressed." I stopped at the door. "You going to church?"

She threw a pillow at me and I laughed. I quietly shut the door behind me. I felt something bump into me as I turned around. It was Aria.

"Oh…hey." I said coolly.

"Hey." She said. She was still wearing last night's clothes.

"What are you doing over in the sophomore wing?" I asked.

She yawned. "I cut through it sometimes to get to my friend's dorm. I stayed with her last night."

Something felt unsettling in my stomach. "Oh." I said.

"I saw your bowl in the kiln room by the way. It looks good."

"Oh, thanks." I was caught off guard hearing a compliment from her. I had seen her a couple more times in the studio after we first met. We didn't chat much, just small-talk here and there. I heard a loud beep from her purse. She pulled out her phone and stared at the screen. She dismissively put it back in her bag. I didn't want to pry, but she looked troubled.

"Everything okay?" I asked. I had little experience in the comforting department, but I saw her eyes light up when I asked.

She sighed. "No, not really." She fiddled with her necklace. "You wanna get a cup of coffee. I've been dying to use this gift card I got for Christmas."

She held up a Starbucks gift card. I was sold. "Sure, let me get dressed."

I took a sip of my coffee and let the steam hit my face. "This is delicious. Thanks."

"No problem." She said. She had paid for my coffee. It was a friendly gesture, but I felt weird. We didn't know each other that well. I set my cup down.

"Did something happen last night or…?" I trailed off. I felt like such a stalker again.

Aria shrugged. "Kind of."

When she didn't elaborate I took that as a cue to change the subject. I searched my brain for anything not related to wild college parties.

"I kind of got into a little fight with my boyfriend." She blurted out. What was I supposed to say?

"That's…too bad." I grabbed my cup again. "What happened?"

"Well he's older you see, and I was at this party at a frat house. I didn't think he would want to pick me up, but when I called he showed up like two minutes later."

I avoided eye contact and stared at the table.

"Anyways, he looked kinda upset when he came. I asked him what was wrong and you know what he said?"

"What?"

"He said: 'Don't you think you're getting too old for these frat parties?"'

She scoffed and took another sip.

"Maybe he was jealous…" I offered. "I mean his girlfriend is hanging out with a bunch of college guys. Seems like competition to me."

"But there is no competition. I've been seeing him since high school and we've been together ever since."

_High school. _It didn't sound so bad when she said it, it actually sounded like a typical relationship.

"Things will work out." I said. When the words escaped my mouth I knew I meant. The way Mr. Fitz talked about her; I could tell he was in love. Why else would you get a tattoo of someone's name on your ring finger? They were obviously pretty serious.

She sighed. "We've been through a lot. I'm just scared that one day we may not see eye to eye anymore."

I could've offered up a boyfriend story of my own, but unfortunately I didn't have a ground-breaking discussion just waiting to happen. My one and only boyfriend was this boy in my class whom I only dated for a few months. It was a disaster.

"I wish I could give you advice or something, but my experience in the romance department is depressing."

She looked up at me. "You'll meet someone, I know you will. Sometimes you meet the one when you least expect it…"

Thoughts were racing through her head, I knew it. She looked off into the distance with her hand rested under her chin. Her phone beeped again.

"Ugh, I need to change…" She looked down at yesterday's clothes. "That's going to be so awkward when I walk through the door."

"Why?"

"Well I'm going to have to confront him." She said. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. Thanks for listening."

"Thanks for the coffee." I said, but I don't think she heard me.

I sat there and let her words sink in. _I'm going to have to confront him. _I swallowed my coffee fast and let it burn down my throat.

They _lived _together?


	6. Valentine's Day

**A/N: So sorry it's been a while since I've posted. I had to take a break from the computer and then I just didn't get back into writing. I do have to admit though, I don't know what to do with this story anymore but please bare with me, I'm trying my best. It probably will be summer next time I post. Finals are coming up! Anyways, have a good day & enjoy!**

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><p>I was usually not an impatient person. I was the second person in line behind a tall guy with bushy blonde hair and I couldn't take it anymore. I really had to pee. He scooted out of the way and I mentally cheered in rejoice. I quickly grabbed my mail and ran towards the nearest bathroom, which was inside the English wing. As I rounded the corner I looked at the names on the envelopes: a credit card bill from a previous shopping spree online, a letter from my parents and a bulky envelope from NYU. I tried hard to get a paper cut as I tore it open. On top was a letter from the director of the creative writing program. I gulped and read the first sentence.<p>

_We are pleased to let you know you have been accepted to New York…_ I read it over several times until it sunk in. I was going to New York. I really was in desperate need of a restroom.

"Right…bathroom." I thought. I knew it was at the end of the hallway. And there it was, right next to a water fountain.

When I came out I dug out the NYU envelope from my purse and headed through the part of the building that housed the offices. I was about to turn right when I noticed Professor Fitz's office door was open. He was inside at his desk. I don't what came over me, but I walked towards the door and knocked.

"Mr. Fitz?" I blurted. He looked up. "Er, is this a bad time?"

"Oh…no. Come in." He said. I walked over to his desk.

"I was just at the mailbox and I got a letter from NYU. I got in."

"That's great!" He said. I showed him the letter. I tried to distract my mouth clanking my teeth together. I was afraid I would blurt out some dumb excuse for last weekend at the bar. He handed me back the paper and I tried to smile.

He opened his mouth to say something, but instead he looked over at the door. I turned around and backed away when I saw it was Aria.

"Oh I can come back if you're busy." She said cautiously. She stood in his doorway not even daring to come closer.

"Oh, no I was just leaving." I told her. I put the papers back in their envelope.

"You never said you had…Professor Fitz for English." Aria said. I looked back and forth between them. It must be awkward if she had to call him 'Professor Fitz' all of the time.

"Oh." I said dumbfounded. "I just never really…anyways I should be going." For someone who wanted to be a writer, I really needed some work.

Valentine's Day. One of the most hated holidays for those (like me) who had no significant others to send flowers, chocolates or let's face it…have sex with on February 14th. I decided to spend my time hanging out with friends eating chocolate that wasn't shaped in hearts. Since I didn't have to be in class until after noon, I decided to work on my pot that I was making in pottery. It technically wasn't required, which is why Ms. Boon forbade me to work on it during class. Instead, she let me come in any time I wanted because she knew how much of an interest I took in pottery. As long as I stayed out of the way, I wouldn't get yelled at.

I unwrapped my pot gave it a onceover before deciding to add some designs. I took it to an empty potter's wheel and gently set it down. Before I could get to it, I heard an unmistakable giggle from the other side of the studio. _Aria. _Oops, I thought. I really hadn't wanted to run into her, especially not today.

I peacefully worked through most of the class in my own little world. That is until a skinny freshman appeared in the doorway with a bouquet of roses. The class oohed and aahed at the flowers as he made his way towards the back of the room. He kindly handed them to Aria who looked surprised at first, then her face softened and she was took them into her arms delicately.

"Aww." Someone said at the wheel next to mine. Us girls were so prone to feeling so warm and fuzzy at romantic gestures I even sighed and awwed a little bit too. I didn't realize I was staring until Aria met my eye. I smiled and she smiled back.

At the end of the class we both exited the door at the same time.

"Nice flowers." I said.

"I know, right? I'm going to go thank him." She waved goodbye and ran off towards the English building. Right where I was going.

When I got to his lecture hall, Aria was already inside. They were embraced and she kissed him on the lips. I jumped away from the window, not wanting to spy.

"But that's not all…" I heard Mr. Fitz say.

I frantically eyed the hallway looking for a place to casually sit until more people came, but I was stuck. Where was I supposed to go? I was supposed to be going through that door! Why weren't any people here yet?

I heard Aria gasp. I looked inside and saw her aweing at something on his desk. It was a necklace. I couldn't make out what was on it, but I knew Aria loved it. She seemed to have an obsession over jewelry.

"I better go." Aria said. She ran her hand down Mr. Fitz's arm and gave him a long kiss good-bye. She turned and headed towards the door, flowers in hand. I stepped back so I wasn't even around the corner yet. Aria headed my direction and I made myself appear.

"Oh, hey Alyssa!" She said. Around her neck was the necklace. It was a locket and engraved on top was intricate designs. If I could whistle I would've.

"That's such a pretty necklace." I blurted. She looked down at the silver chain dangling from her neck.

"Thanks." She smiled and started to walk away. "Oh…happy Valentine's day."

I smiled and laughed a bit to forget how awkward this was. "You too."

During class, Professor Fitz was especially bubbly. We blew off half the class talking about books, movies and college. Everyone would pitch in with the conversation and complain about things. He sat on the edge of desk and joined in too.

"Yah, my boyfriend lives in Michigan so I don't see him much," a blonde girl said. Another girl brought up some long distance issues. "But we make it work."

Professor Fitz took a sip of his coffee. I tried not to stare at the tattoo on his ring finger.

"So Professor Fitz, did you have a good Valentine's Day?" Someone in the front asked.

He laughed. "Isn't it still Valentine's Day?"

The girl shrugged. I knew she was trying to break the ice. Everyone wanted to know who the mysterious girl was. I almost laughed out loud at the thought that I actually knew.

He set his mug down and sighed. "Yah, I had a good Valentine's Day."

Then everyone started to talk about their holiday plans while I just listened patiently. God it sucked to be single.

"Oh! Professor Fitz!" Janie, a brown haired girl who seemed to always be in the library, piped up.

"Hmm?" He asked while setting down his mug again.

"I forgot to ask, are you going to be in charge of the film festival this year?"

Every year we had a festival that plays all sorts of unheard-of movies (usually black and white ones) and we sat on the grass, watching a projector. Mr. Fitz was in charge last year too.

"Nope, I left that to the film majors this year. I've been pretty busy myself." He looked down at his cuticles. "I just moved into a new apartment and stuff."

I heard someone whisper, "And where is that?" I banished away my curiosity. He didn't hear the girls though because he was already talking to someone else about this book he read a while ago.

When class ended, we all still had laptops and binders splayed all over our desks. Usually we packed up a little bit before it was over, but today we were all too consumed in conversation. Mr. Fitz said good-bye and left the room. I headed out the door behind a group of chatty girls and a couple guys. Mr. Fitz was outside the door next to Aria. Well, that was fast, I thought. Aria laughed and then grabbed onto his bicep. Usually when girls did that it seemed too mama-bear and braggish, but it fit them just fine. A couple of girls did a double take when the saw her. I smiled at Aria and she grinned back. More kids came out behind me so I didn't stop and say hello. I shuffled past them and noticed his hand was rested on her hip.

"Oh my gosh, is this your girlfriend?" Someone gushed. I turned to see who this blunt person was. It was a perky blonde.

Professor Fitz beamed. "Yah, this is Aria." Aria offered a hello.

"Love the shoes." The girl said.

"Oh, thanks." Aria said as she looked up at Professor Fitz again. She no longer held onto his arm as they maneuvered around the last few students coming out. He held the door open for her. The girl saw me looking her way.

"Aren't they adorable?" She asked.

"Yah, they are." And I meant it.


	7. Sisterhood of the traveling red dress

Pottery isn't too complicated. I noticed that early on in the course when everyone else was struggling and I was already done with my two bowls that were required. At the end of the quarter, a select number of students would be rewarded for their "outstanding success in the arts" at a banquet. I was secretly hoping that I would be chosen to attend. Call it a school girl's fantasy. I wanted to be known for something, even if it was small.

"Look what was taped on your door!" Kate sang. I gulped as I grabbed the envelope from her. Okay, deep breath. This was it. Was it possible that I would get two different types of good news in one month? That seemed highly unlikely for a girl like me. I opened the envelope and there it was, my invitation to the banquet. Under that was my pottery teacher's signature along with the head of the arts departments.

"Wow," I breathed. Kate squealed and snapped a picture. It was her latest obsession. She wanted to document every moment, good and bad.

"This is huge." Kate said. "Parents and family come for this, you know."

I struggled to see my parents and brothers sitting with me at a table in at a college event. My brothers rarely went to these kinds of things during high school. The last time I saw either one of them dressed up was my graduation.

I headed out to class early to thank Mrs. J personally. I heard a familiar laugh from inside.

"Oh there's our other _outstanding _student!" Mrs. J announced as I entered the room. Standing next to her was Aria. Wow, how did I not see that coming?

"Congrats." She said. She smiled at me.

"Mrs. J, I just came by to thank you for this." I said. I could feel a tickle in my throat. Please not now, I thought.

"Oh it was no big deal. You two are my best students; very focused and talented I might add."

We both giggled that "oh stop" laugh like we weren't _that _talented, but I could tell we both felt pretty proud.

"So I will be seeing both of you at the banquet?" She asked.

"Yep," we responded at the same time and laughed. "We'll be there."

"Glad to hear it ladies." She smiled and walked out of the room. "I'll see you in class."

We could still hear her jewelry jangling as she walked farther down the hall.

"Your work is incredible." I complimented her.

"Oh thank you. Yours too." We both stood there awkwardly in the silence.

She spoke up. "So…are you bringing anyone special?"

The way she said "special" dictated that she meant a "boyfriend." I felt like laughing. Me? Seriously? The thought made me want to laugh even more.

"No." I said letting a little giggle slip out.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's just…I don't have a boyfriend. It's kinda obvious."

She waved me off. "Of course not, I bet there's one guy out there who's perfect for you."

I bit my tongue. _Your boyfriend is perfect but I don't feel that way about him and he's dating you. _

"Anyways are you bringing Mr. Fitz?" I asked hoping it wasn't too inappropriate.

She smiled. "Yep."

A thought crossed my mind. "Isn't that illegal though? Or 'frowned upon' for a professor to be dating his student?"

Aria smiled a faux devilish grin. "I'm not his student though."

I laughed at how her voice got husky and deep as she said that.

"He's a really great guy," I said. "I hope that's not too weird."

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ears.

"Nope. Not really." She laughed. "Hey, what are you going to wear?"

"Oh crap," I said. "I didn't even think of that."

She looked over at me. "I probably have something that will fit you. If you want to borrow something."

"Is it that obvious I'm on a budget?"

"All college students are. I just so happen to have an extensive dress collection." She smiled and wrote down her phone number.

"Thank you so much Aria."

"Hey don't worry. What are friends for?" She smiled and got out her latest project: a vase with different shapes cut out of it. It was eerily retro yet modern looking. I could already tell it was going to be a masterpiece.

I waved goodbye and left the room.

_Friends. _

* * *

><p>Aria said most of her dresses were back at her dad's house. The unfamiliar territory clawed at my stomach. I suddenly didn't feel so well. It was one thing to see her dorm, but to be completely off campus was extremely bizarre. I knew a little bit about her dad. He was a professor at Hollis. I never saw much of him, though. Aria mentioned that he wanted to cut down on his classes. He was supposedly tired.<p>

I noticed whenever Aria talked about her family her usual perky nature vanished. She bit her lip on the way there like she was contemplating something. I didn't want to say the wrong thing, so I was silent the entire car ride. I politely answered any questions she asked and offered up some casual small talk if the silence got too awkward.

She turned onto a street full of quaint looking houses and trees. There were lots of trees. Her house was especially beautiful. It contained all sorts of browns that normally would've clashed, but with the right amount of greenery it was gorgeous.

"Nice house." I commented.

"Oh. Thanks." Aria dropped the defensive frown she'd been sporting since we turned onto her street. "Let's see if anyone is home."

Inside the foyer was just as beautiful as the exterior. Kitchen to the left and a welcoming living room decked with leather furniture was to the right. It was silent and empty.

"My brother Mike must be gone. He likes to camp out here on the weekends." She explained and led me up to her old room. Just like Aria it was unique. Her windows had decorative curtains and the bed was decked out with colorful pillows and shams.

"Awesome room." I commented. "Do you live here?"

"Yep. I really don't see the point in staying at the dorms. My brother does. He's in a fraternity though." Aria pushed a couple boxes out of the way and opened her closet. It was like opening up a treasure chest. I gaped at how many dresses, skirts and nice shirts she had.

"Do you wear all these dresses?" I asked. There was at least ten or fifteen of them hung next to each other.

"I try." She pushed back a few. "Here are some of the more nicer ones."

There was a simple black dress, a backless lace dress, a red and black strapless dress that looked more like a costume then a banquet type attire, and many others. I pushed back another dress to find an edgy looking dress with chains cascading from one end of the shoulder to the other. It had black tulle and a lace collar.

"This one is gorgeous." I felt the texture and the fabric of the dress.

"Yah," she smiled sheepishly. "I wore that to my junior homecoming in high school."

"Was it fun?" I asked.

"It had its moments." Aria bit her lip again. I recoiled my arm and eyed a gray dress that I missed. As I was admiring the bottom, I got a look at her shoe collection.

"Holy shit." I blurted.

"What?"

"Your shoes."

"Oh. That's just another one of my obsessions. You should see my jewelry collection."

"My closet is basically t-shirts and jeans. I don't even know when the last time I wore a dress was." I held up the gray dress in front of the mirror. Was gray my shade? Was a long dress weird? Should I go for a shorter one? Aria must've seen me struggling because she came up and picked out two more dresses. A red one and a pink one.

"I think you would look in any of these." She laid out all three dresses onto her bed. "Go ahead try them on. I'm gonna get something to eat. You hungry?"

"No thanks." Aria left me alone in her room. I shut the door and it squeaked. As I was undressing I noticed there were pictures scattered out the entire room. One was of her family that looked fairly old. Aria had a pink streak in her hair. There was one of Mr. Fitz with his arms wrapped around her. They were both dressed in normal everyday clothes. It was weird seeing him without a tie on. All the rest were of Aria and three other girls I presumed were her best friends. None of them went to Hollis though. There were some other pictures taped onto the wall near her bed. One looked like a mountain somewhere in Europe and another was a sunset over a lake. I zipped up the red dress and went to the mirror. Aria's clothes were like magic. She was my fairy godmother in three inch heels. The dress accentuated my features and made me look…pretty. It had a v-neck and the silk fabric fit perfectly against my thighs.

Aria knocked on the door. "How does it fit?"

I opened it up to see Aria's eyes go wide. "You look amazing!"

"I know right! I mean thank you." I stood in front of the mirror again. "This is the one."

Once I was back in my old clothes, I helped Aria hang up all the dresses that were thrown onto her bed. I refused any offers to lend me shoes because she was already doing so much. I told her I could accessorize myself.

"I can't thank you enough." I said as we headed downstairs with the dress in tow.

Aria laughed. "Trust me, it's no big deal."

I sighed and noticed a Rosewood High School yearbook sitting on the coffee table in the living room. "Is that your yearbook?"

"Oh yah. I just found it the other day." She shuffled over and lifted it up. "It's from my junior year."

She handed it to me. "I'm going to get some water."

I opened the first page. It was still in crisp condition, like it was barely opened. The first section was of school activities and clubs. I didn't notice Aria in many, but I did recognize the brunette from the pictures in her room in most of them. I searched for her blonde friend and found a picture of her as homecoming queen alongside a short haired blonde guy. I awed at the homecoming decorations. Our dances were never this cool. They even had an actual live band. On the opposite page I found Aria working a booth in her gorgeous lace dress from upstairs. She was spinning a wheel while a man collected tickets. He was looking down but I saw the resemblance. It was Professor Fitz, when he first started teaching. This must've been around the time they first dated. I felt like I was snooping in her personal life so I quickly turned to a new, random page. It was the sports section. Aria came back in the room.

"Find anything interesting?"

"Oh!" I jumped. "I, uh, actually saw a picture of you in there." I found the page again and showed it to Aria. _What the hell was I doing? Why was I confronting her about this?_

Aria's lips turned down.

"I'm sorry that was rude." I said abruptly.

"Why would that be rude?"

"Oh because…" I then remembered she didn't know that I knew. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure?"

"I know about how you first started seeing Mr. Fitz in high school."

Aria looked shocked. "How-how did you know that?"

"Not my best moment but my friends and I just kinda put two and two together from all the things we heard…" I bit the inside of my cheek. "I'm sorry."

"There's really nothing to be sorry about." She sat down next to me. "It's not really a big secret anymore, I mean, the whole town probably knows."

She stared at the page, her face becoming more and more stone-like. She was staring at the picture of her at the wheel.

"I really should be going." I jumped up and grabbed the dress. "Thanks again…"

Aria nodded and closed the yearbook. "Right. I'll get my keys." She looked back again at the open yearbook and then followed me out the door.

* * *

><p>It was my first class of the next day and all I could think about was the dress. It then reminded me of Aria which then brought me back to my horrible display of human emotion last night. I mentally sighed at myself. Professor Fitz wasn't in the room yet so I decided to go get a drink at the watering fountain just around the corner. As I sashayed back into the room, I caught a glimpse of Mr. Fitz kissing Aria goodbye. She smiled and kissed him again. She whispered something in his ear and walked away. He smiled to himself and watched her go.<p> 


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